The Jeremiah Smith touchdown isn't why football has instant replay

Jeremiah Smith scored a controversial touchdown in the second quarter of Ohio State's win over Michigan on Saturday. There shouldn't be much controversial about it (other than the refs missing a pretty blatant defensive holding early in the route). Smith beat his man, caught a deep pass, took some glancing contact from a second defender, then waltzed into the end zone. It's the type of play that is routine, and no one would think anything crazy happened worth looking at.

Then the replay booth called down. Smith, it appeared, lost complete control of the ball for less than a second. During that split-second, he had both feet off the ground, and the ball had not yet crossed the goal line. When he reestablished possession, his next step came down with a toe on the line in the end zone. If that was a fumble, then it should have been a tocuhback, as the ball was technically out of bounds when contacted in the end zone. Eventually, the call was upheld. As expected, Buckeye fans rejoiced and Michigan fans were frustrated, to say the least.

By the letter of the rule, Michigan fans might have a legitimate gripe. That bobble sure seems like a fumble, and then the ball came back in bounds. I don't want to over-discuss that (there is a decent argument to make that the loss and reestablishment of possession in such a short period of time doesn't constitute an actual loss of possession). Instead, I want to point out that this wasn't what replay was meant to do.

Referees are human beings. They make mistakes. Also, football is a game of inches. It's hard to get calls perfect. Instant replay is a huge benefit to the game. It takes out the part of the game where human errors that aren't part of the game can change the outcome of the game. And we've all seen games where officiating mistakes could make a huge difference. Instant replay mitigates that. It also helps the officials slow the game down to get the precise call on those bang-bang plays that they couldn't really see.

What instant replay isn't meant for, though, is to take a microscope to the tiniest of details that human beings miss for a reason. Was a punt barely grazed in a way that doesn't change the trajectory? Should replay call that a muff even if it's contact that no human would notice in real time? Does a micro-bobble really mean a loss of possession or that a catch wasn't made?

The fact is, instant replay was developed to assist the officials in getting calls correct. It wasn't meant to change how the game is officiated. Overturning a touchdown like Smith's would mean that a half-second bobble at precisely the wrong moment could change every play. It would fundamentally change how referees would have to watch every detail of every play.

Ideally, the rulebooks should adjust to reflect this reality. They should make clearer not just what can or can't be reviewed, but what should or shouldn't be reviewed. Maybe this play will spur the NCAA (and even the NFL) to adjust the letter of the rulebook to match its spirit.

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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: The Jeremiah Smith touchdown isn't why football has instant replay